New Jersey – Irish in the American Civil Warhttps://irishamericancivilwar.com
Exploring Irish Emigration & Irish Involvement in the American Civil WarSat, 10 Dec 2016 03:06:12 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://secure.gravatar.com/blavatar/ebfabc76052f2c46777cb1b56d7a8a74?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.pngNew Jersey – Irish in the American Civil Warhttps://irishamericancivilwar.com
“Mike, The Color Bearer”: How a Famine Emigrant Became an American on the Battlefields of Virginiahttps://irishamericancivilwar.com/2016/07/10/mike-the-color-bearer-how-a-famine-emigrant-became-an-american-on-the-battlefields-of-virginia/
https://irishamericancivilwar.com/2016/07/10/mike-the-color-bearer-how-a-famine-emigrant-became-an-american-on-the-battlefields-of-virginia/#commentsSun, 10 Jul 2016 14:22:40 +0000http://irishamericancivilwar.com/?p=10860]]>On the afternoon of 30th August 1862, the outcome of the Battle of Second Bull Run hung in the balance. James Longstreet’s Corps had been hurled against the Union left, and desperate fighting broke out along a key portion of the field known as Chinn Ridge. As Federal officers sought to buy time to organize a defence, Colonel Nathaniel McLean’s brigade of Ohioans was fed into the maelstrom. Among their number was the 75th Ohio Infantry, who advanced to the crest of Chinn Ridge with their National Colors held aloft by a young Irish emigrant. The 21-year-old Cavan native who steadied himself beneath the Stars & Stripes that day was as fervent a believer in the cause of Union as any native-born American in the ranks. Along with his father he had left Ireland for the United States– and a new future– following the death of his mother during the years of the Great Famine. The dedication and courage he had displayed in previous months had seen Michael Brady become a popular choice to carry the regiment’s national banner. But at Second Bull Run, it would also make him one of the prime targets for the Confederate infantrymen who were converging on the Ohioans position. (1)

The grave of Michael Brady (Image by Stan Jett, Find A Grave)

Michael Brady’s parents had been married “at the Priest House in County Cavan near Old Castle” in 1829 by the Reverend Peter Brady (the Brady surname is one particularly associated with Cavan). Michael was born there around 1840. He was still a boy when the Famine descended upon Ireland– it is unknown if it was the cause of his mother’s death, which occurred in August 1848. Sometime after this date Michael’s father Patrick decided to depart for America with his young son. They made their home in Newark, New Jersey, but it wasn’t long before ill-health began to plague Patrick. From at least the mid-1850s, the main responsibility for earning money fell on young Michael. Prior to 1861 he took on the blacksmithing trade, bringing in on average between $8 and $10 a week. But the American Civil War was just a few months old when Michael made a decision to enlist. Making arrangements for his father’s comfort, he enlisted at Camp McLean, Cincinnati, Ohio on 31st December 1861, becoming a private in Company A of the 75th Ohio. (2)

Michael had come to an agreement with Louis Smith in Newark to provide both board and clothing for his father while he was away (Michael had previously also boarded in the Smith home). This Louis agreed to do, for a cost of around of $4 per week. Safe in the knowledge that his father was looked after, Michael could concentrate on doing his best to preserve the country which he made his home. It wasn’t long before he and his unit were sent to Western Virginia, and they were among those who faced off against Stonewall Jackson at the Battle of McDowell on 8th May 1862. It was here that Michael first demonstrated his mettle. When the regiment’s Color Sergeant, E.M. Gordon, was felled during the fight, the national flag began to roll down the hill towards the Rebels. Michael reportedly leapt from cover to retrieve the Color, and continued to expose himself to fire as he waved it defiantly at the enemy. It was this act which ultimately led to him receiving the honour of carrying the United States flag, though his appointment was delayed as the 75th’s Colonel initially felt Michael’s height– he was apparently only 5 feet 4 inches tall– was an impediment. (3)

Plaque commemorating the Battle of McDowell (Image by Pete Unseth)

Atop Chinn Ridge on the Second Bull Run battlefield that 30th August, the Ohioans had initially repulsed the first disjointed Confederate attacks they encountered. However, as fresher and more organised Rebel forces began to disgorge from the woods around them, their situation soon became desperate. Lieutenant George Fox turned to Michael, jesting that “They will get the Colors today.” The young Cavan man replied “If they get the flag, they’ll get old Mike. Now mind that, Lieutenant.” As the Ohioan brigade came close to being overrun, Brady once again demonstrated his almost reckless bravery. In an effort to rally the men, he sprang forward with the Stars and Stripes, waving the flag “back and forth in a defiant manner.” Unsurprisingly, bringing down the Colors of the 75th was a task many of the Southerners set themselves. At battle’s end, the standard was said to have been pierced by some 90 bullet holes. The hail of fire directed at it and it’s bearer had predictable results. The staff was shattered, and a ball struck Michael in the chest, passing through his body. Though he fell to the ground, he somehow managed to drag himself up, raising the Colors once more. Upon rushing forward to take the flag, Captain Andrew Harris had to prize each of Brady’s fingers from the staff in order to release his grip. (4)

Eventually McLean’s brigade was forced to retreat, and though their actions had helped buy some time for a more organised Federal response, the battle was ultimately lost. A few days later Lieutenant Fox sat down write to Michael Brady back in Newark regarding his son:

Camp 3 miles from Chinn Ridge

Potomac River Sept 5th 1862

Patrick Brady Esqr.

Dear Sir

I am called upon to announce to you the sorrowful news of Michael, your son. In the action of Aug 29th [sic.] while boldly leading the Regt with our Glorious Stars & Stripes he was struck by a bullet in the right breast, the ball passing clean through his body. He was taken off the field but could not be attended to that night. The next day he was taken as I am informed by the Doctors to Washington City. Michael was loved by all who knew him. From our Colonel who commands this Brigade to the Private he is known to be a good brave whole souled soldier. The Colonel has repeatedly asked if he has been heard from and how he is getting along. The Company suffers a severe loss. I believe I can say of him something that i cannot of any other member of the Company. That is he has never had a quarrelsome work with anybody– nor has he been at any time reprimanded for neglect or non performance of duty. Father at one time came into Western Va to carry home the money of the Reg. as his passage back was a dangerous one some men were chosen to escort him among which was Michael. Every letter I receive from Father he makes mention of him and speaks of the hardships they were required to submit to and the especial kindness he paid him. As I have more letters to write to the friends of my killed and wounded I must close. Anything further I may gain in reference to him I shall communicate it to you,

Very Respectfully

Your Obedient Servt

Lieut George B Fox Commanding Co. A

75 O.V.I. (5)

The fighting on Chinn Ridge at Second Bull Run as drawn by Edwin Forbes (Library of Congress)

Michael eventually found himself not in Washington, but Alexandria, where he was sent to the U.S. Hospital on Prince Street. It was from here that Patrick Brady received a second letter, written on 24th September:

Alexandria Va Sept 24th 1862

Mr Brady

Dear Sir

I agreable to the wish of your son Michael I write to inform you that he was wounded at the battle of Manassas on the 29th of August by a rifle ball entering just above the brest bone and coming out on the back near the lower angle of the shoulder blade the ball nearly severed the wind pipe and then passed through the right lung he was received into this Hospital Sept 3d and died Sept 9th he bore his suffering with the greatest fortitude and was perfectly resigned to his fate. When I informed him that he must die he said “welcome be the will of God I couldn’t loose my life in a better cause” I called a Priest who cam and administered the consolation of religion to him in his last moments. He was perfectly rational to the last & died like a good soldier and christian.

With much sympathy for you in you affliction I am

Yours truly

C.R. Bigalow

Act. Asst. Surgeon

U.S.A.

U.S. Hospital Prince St

Alexandria Va (6)

Michael Brady’s death for the cause of the United States must have had a deep emotional impact on his 64-year-old father– it most certainly had a profound economic one. By the late 1860s he was described as “old, decrepit, weak and failing” and was losing his “physical and mental powers.” He faced a struggle of a number of years to sufficiently prove both his marriage in Ireland and dependency, but he eventually succeeded and was pensioned from 27th December 1867, when he was living at 256 Warren Street in Newark. Michael Brady’s exploits on the battlefields of Virginia were ones his comrades would never forget. He was regularly mentioned in their writing; more than six decades after the Cavan native’s death at Second Bull Run Elias Montfort would write a National Tribune article entitled Mike, the Color Bearer. Held Onto the Flag Until He Fell Mortally Wounded at Bull Run.* Today the 21-year-old rests at Alexandria National Cemetery, where he is buried at Plot A, O, 274. (7)

Prince Street Hospital in Alexandria as it appears today, where Michael Brady died.

The story of Michael Brady is an intriguing and compelling one. We will never know if his mother died as a direct result of the Great Famine, but there is little doubt that calamity had a profound impact on his life. Like many other Irish emigrants, he and his father likely felt they had little choice but to emigrate in order to offer themselves the prospects of a better economic future. But his story also tells us much about how many Irish embraced their new home. As has been repeatedly shown, Irish emigrants, even where the opportunity presented itself, rarely returned to Ireland. As we repeatedly see in the Irish pension files, many fully committed to the United States, and did so fervently, even where they retained a deep love of their homeland. There are surely few better examples of this than Michael Brady. Having left a land which offered him little, he was ready to give his all for the American Republic which was now his country– he readily giving his life for its preservation.

Alexandria National Cemetery (Image: Albert Herring)

*I am keen to access a copy of this article, which I have not been able to obtain- if any readers have access to it I would be very grateful for a copy!

** None of my work on pensions would be possible without the exceptional effort currently taking place in the National Archives to digitize this material and make it available online via Fold3. A team from NARA supported by volunteers are consistently adding to this treasure trove of historical information. To learn more about their work you can watch a video by clicking here.

Filed under: Battle of McDowell, Battle of Second Bull Run, Cavan, New Jersey, Ohio Tagged: 75th Ohio Infantry, Battle of McDowell, Cavan Diaspora, Cavan Emigration, Irish American Civil War, Irish Identity in America, Irish in New Jerssey, Second Bull Run]]>https://irishamericancivilwar.com/2016/07/10/mike-the-color-bearer-how-a-famine-emigrant-became-an-american-on-the-battlefields-of-virginia/feed/2The fighting on Chinn Ridge at Second Bull Run as drawn by Edwin Forbes (Library of Congress)damianshielsThe grave of Michael Brady (Image by Stan Jett, Find A Grave)Plaque commemorating the Battle of McDowell (Image by Pete Unseth)The fighting on Chinn Ridge at Second Bull Run as drawn by Edwin Forbes (Library of Congress)Alexandria National Cemetery (Image: Albert Herring)The Creation of an Irish Widow: The 33rd New Jersey at Peachtree Creek, 20th July 1864https://irishamericancivilwar.com/2014/07/20/the-creation-of-an-irish-widow-the-33rd-new-jersey-at-peachtree-creek-20th-july-1864/
https://irishamericancivilwar.com/2014/07/20/the-creation-of-an-irish-widow-the-33rd-new-jersey-at-peachtree-creek-20th-july-1864/#commentsSun, 20 Jul 2014 13:03:51 +0000http://irishamericancivilwar.com/?p=7031]]>On the 20th July 1864, the 33rd New Jersey Infantry of the Army of the Cumberland found themselves at Peachtree Creek, outside Atlanta. They were gathered on a hill some 300 yards in front of the main Union position acting as an outpost for their brigade. Their divisional commander, John White Geary, thought attack unlikely. He was mistaken. Lieutenant-Colonel Enos Fourat of the 33rd gave his version of what happened next:

…the enemy, advancing in mass through the woods, drove back the skirmishers instantly and rushed down upon us with loud yells, pouring in volley after volley. We were without shelter, but my men kept their ground defiantly and returned the fire with vim. Almost immediately another overwhelming force came down upon our right flank. I threw two companies around to protect that flank. They were too weak, and down they came upon us on the double-quick; at the same time still another column came out upon our left flank. Under these circumstances, with such an overwhelming force against us and on three sides of us, with such a withering fire from front, right, and left, and the enemy rapidly gaining our rear, to stand longer was madness, and I reluctantly gave the order to retire fighting. As the men rose and commenced to retire, with a yell of exultation the enemy rushed upon us with his dense masses and pressed so close that he ordered the surrender of our colors. With this order we could not comply. The fire was terrific; the air was literally full of deadly missiles; men dropped upon all sides; none expected to escape. The bearer of our State colors fell; 1 of the color guard was killed and 1 or 2 missing. The enemy were too close upon us to recover the colors; it was simply impossible, and it is with feelings of the deepest sorrow I am compelled to report that our State colors fell into the hands of the enemy, at the same time we feel it to be no fault of ours…(1)

The Peachtree Creek Battlefield in Georgia, with graves of the fallen (Library of Congress)

The veritable destruction of the 33rd New Jersey was one of the major Confederate successes of the Battle of Peachtree Creek. The battle was John Bell Hood’s first as commanding General of the Army of Tennessee, but it ultimately failed to halt the relentless Union drive on Atlanta. A number of men in the unfortunate 33rd that day were Irish. Some would be among the captured, who in the months to come would have to take their chances in the lottery of life and death that was the experience of a being a prisoner of war in the 1864 South. That was not to be the fate of Private Hugh Shields. (2)

Hugh had enlisted in the ranks of the 7th New Jersey Infantry on 2nd September 1861, serving with them in the Army of the Potomac through 1862. His connection with that regiment ended on 26th January 1863, when the rosters show he was discharged for disability. He returned home to Hoboken, New Jersey, where he lived on Court Street, between 2nd and 3rd. The draft registration records for June 1863 show that the 30-year-old laborer was in fact suspected as having deserted from the ranks of the 7th New Jersey. Whatever the reality, on 25th August Hugh decided to go back to war, joining the 33rd on the promise of a bounty of $375. So it was that when the Rebels overran the regiment’s position at Peachtree Creek on 20th July 1864, Hugh Shields was among the Yankees on the exposed hill. He breathed his last there, dying instantly with a bullet wound to the head. Today he rests in Marietta National Cemetery, Grave 7155. (3)

An Alfred Waud sketch of a marriage in the 7th New Jersey Infantry. This took place shortly after Hugh left the regiment (Library of Congress)

Hugh’s 28-year-old wife Margaret, also from Ireland, was widowed by the Battle of Peachtree Creek. Hugh and Margaret (née Gaffney) had been married at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Hoboken on 23rd September 1858. Within two months of Hugh’s death she was seeking the pension she required to help maintain herself- it was granted in April 1865 at a rate of $8 per month, commencing from the date of her husband’s death. (4)

Margaret spent a little over five years as a widow. Eventually she decided to tie the knot with another member of Hoboken’s Irish-American community; on 4th October 1869 Margaret married Peter Smith, an Irish-born plasterer. Peter and Margaret spent over two decades together, but in the 1890s Margaret would find herself once again turning to her first husband’s wartime service in search of financial support. (5)

It seems that by 1893 the couple, then giving their address as 306 Newark Street in Hoboken, had fallen on hard times. Clearly in need of money, on 8th December 1892 Margaret- now in her fifties- submitted a new pension application based on Hugh’s service. Although her entitlements to a pension had ceased following her remarriage, she claimed in 1892 that she had only received a single payment based on her husband’s service, in the month of April 1865. Margaret stated that she had been ignorant about what she could claim in the 1860s, and as a result had received neither Hugh’s bounty money nor any payments between April 1865 and the time of her remarriage in 1869. The subsequent investigation seems to suggest that Margaret had indeed received Hugh’s bounty money as part of an initial lump sum payment in 1865, which included her deceased husband’s back pay. For whatever reason- perhaps it was ignorance of her entitlements as she claimed- it does appear that she neglected to collect her $8 per month for the next four years. (6)

The Bureau of Pensions decided not to approve payment. Their decision was made easier by a letter they received, dated 25th May 1893:

Hoboken May 25th 1893

Commissioner of Pensions

Washington

Sir,

The claimant Margaret Smith, died suddenly- having no issue- but a husband in destitute circumstances and who had to defray all expense of funeral & c. Please inform who and how the claim when awarded claim can be shown, by whom and what proceedings are required by your department.

Respectfully Yours,

Louis Budenbender

Att for claimant (7)

The application was rejected on 8th June 1893. Hugh Shields’s death with the 33rd New Jersey at Peachtree Creek on 20th July 1864 led to the creation of a pension file that allows us to view snippets of his widow’s experiences across the next thirty years. Margaret’s was a life which remained closely tied to Hoboken’s Irish-American community, and one which appears for the most part to have been lived in poverty. The National Archive pension files offer Irish scholars their best opportunity to follow Irish emigrants such as Hugh and Margaret across the Atlantic, as we seek to discover what life held in store for them once they left Ireland for America. For Hugh Shields it was ultimately death; for Margaret Gaffney and Peter Smith it was a tough, hard life among Hoboken’s Irish-American community. (8)

New York, Brooklyn, Jersey City & the Hoboken Waterfront as they appeared in a Currier & Ives sketch of 1877 (Library of Congress)

*None of my work on pensions would be possible without the exceptional effort currently taking place in the National Archives to digitize this material and make it available online via Fold3. A team from NARA supported by volunteers are consistently adding to this treasure trove of historical information. To learn more about their work you can watch a video by clicking here.

Filed under: Battle of Peachtree Creek, New Jersey Tagged: 33rd New Jersey Infantry, 7th New Jersey Infantry, Battle of Peachtree Creek, Civil War Widow's Pensions, Irish American Civil War, Irish Diaspora, Irish emigration, National Archives]]>https://irishamericancivilwar.com/2014/07/20/the-creation-of-an-irish-widow-the-33rd-new-jersey-at-peachtree-creek-20th-july-1864/feed/4New York, Brooklyn, Jersey City & the Hoboken Waterfront as they appeared in a Currier & Ives sketch of 1877 (Library of Congress)damianshielsThe Peachtree Creek Battlefield in Georgia, with graves of the fallen (Library of Congress)An Alfred Waud sketch of a marriage in the 7th New Jersey Infantry. This took place shortly after Hugh left the regiment (Library of Congress)The grave of Hugh Shields in Marietta National Cemetery, Georgia (Photo: Helen Jeffrey Gaskill)Medal of Honor: Private Thomas T. Fallon, 37th New York Infantryhttps://irishamericancivilwar.com/2011/10/13/medal-of-honor-private-thomas-t-fallon-37th-new-york-infantry/
https://irishamericancivilwar.com/2011/10/13/medal-of-honor-private-thomas-t-fallon-37th-new-york-infantry/#commentsThu, 13 Oct 2011 18:57:32 +0000http://irishamericancivilwar.com/?p=3201]]>Thomas T. Fallon was born in Co. Galway on 12th August 1837. He emigrated to the United States in 1859, and just two years later found himself in the midst of the American Civil War. In 1861 he enlisted in Company K of the 37th New York ‘Irish Rifles’, beginning a wartime service that would span over 20 engagements and see him listed on the muster rolls of three different units. His continued bravery throughout the war would eventually lead to him being awarded the Medal of Honor. (1)

Thomas Fallon began his service during the 1861 campaign that led to the first Battle of Bull Run. However it was to be in the Peninsula the following year that he first marked himself out as a soldier of note. He fought on the skirmish line at the Battle of Williamsburg on 5th May 1862, an action for which he would eventually be awarded the Medal of Honor. A 1905 issue of the Freehold Transcript reported that the reason for his citation was that the Irishman was one of ten men sent forward in a skirmish line, only four of whom made it back. Major-General Philip Kearney witnessed the event and made sure the men’s names were taken so their bravery could be recorded. (2)

It is difficult to know if Fallon’s actions at Williamsburg alone would have led to the bestowal of the Medal of Honor, but as the war progressed he would time and again demonstrate bravery above and beyond the call of duty. At the Battle of Fair Oaks on 31st May 1862 he was on the sick list, but insisted on joining his regiment to take part in the fighting. General Kearney clearly thought highly of the Galwegian, as he sent him out to spy on the movements of Confederate artillery at Charles City Crossroads, following which his name was again recorded for meritorious conduct. (3)

Having fought with the ‘Irish Rifles’ during the Peninsula Campaign, Fallon embarked on a career as an artilleryman when he was transferred by order of General Kearny to Battery K of the 4th U.S. Artillery. He served through battles such as Second Bull Run and Fredericksburg with the unit, before being discharged at United States Ford on 1st May 1863 following the expiration of his term. Not content with his two year’s service, Fallon would delay only a few of months before re-entering the fray. (4)

The Irishman signed up to become a Sergeant in the 35th New Jersey Infantry on 17th September 1863, mustering in on 24th September. Rather than returning to the Eastern Theater of war, this time Thomas headed West as his regiment joined the Army of the Tennessee. Fighting through the Atlanta Campaign, Fallon once again proved his worth at Big Shanty, Georgia in June 1864. At this engagement he was ordered to lead the left wing of his company in a charge against Confederate works; he led the way as he and his men took one officer and 28 men prisoner. Thomas captured the officer himself, knocking the southerner down with his musket before dragging him out the Rebel defences. His meritorious conduct earned him a 30 day furlough, which the Irishman characteristically refused as he was eager to continue the campaign. (5)

Thomas T. Fallon served on as Atlanta fell, and participated in the March to the Sea before his last engagement at Savannah in December 1864. In the end it was illness that brought a halt to his time in the frontline. He later remembered: ‘It was my last battle, and I was up to the neck in water in the Savannah canal. I was furloughed from the hospital at Savannah, May 6, 1865, and returned to my regiment at Crystal Springs, Washington D. C., June 9. Discharged from service of the United States, July 20, 1865, by reason of provision of Special Order No. 160.’ (6)

Thomas Fallon returned home to live in Freehold, New Jersey after the war. He spent his post war years working as a tailor, and married Mary Garrity, with whom he had a daughter. On 13th February 1891 his gallantry was acknowledged, when he was awarded his Medal of Honor. His citation read: ‘At Williamsburg, Va., assisted in driving rebel skirmishers to their main line. Participated in action, at Fair Oaks, Va., though excused from duty because of disability. In a charge with his company at Big Shanty, Ga., was the first man to the enemy’s works.’ (7)

He periodically resurfaces in papers such as the Red Bank Register during the post war years, offering tantalising glimpses of his later life: in April 1899 he was drawn to serve as a juror in the May term of court, while in July of the same year he was the victim of a crime, when ‘six fine heads of cabbage’ were stolen from his garden. His Civil War record remained newsworthy, as his attendance at a Medal of Honor Legion reunion in Brooklyn in 1900 was mentioned, and his martial exploits were recounted on the occasion of his 68th birthday in 1905. (8)

Thomas T. Fallon died at the age of 79 in August 1916. He is buried in Saint Rose of Lima Cemetery, Freehold, New Jersey, the town the Galwayman had called home for the majority of his life. His dedication to the Union cause during the war had remained a defining moment throughout his later years. He is reported to have said about his time in the army: I donned the blues in ’61, marched with the boys until ’65, which was the proudest act of my life.’ (9)